A/N: Can anyone see this chapter? Site has been glitching out HARD. Sorry for the delay all those 503 errors the last two days threw me off schedule. Looking forward to your feedback~!
As always, I wanted this to feel like a proper Game of Thrones episode! Hopefully I succeeded~!
Alright, I've kept you waiting long enough, methinks. Enough of this old man's rambling; you're here for a story. Hope you're prepared for the chaos to come. Once more, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one. Nope. They're simply tributes to legends far greater than I.
Lastly, a reminder to one and all. Naruto's Westerosi name remains Nathaniel. Joanna -and now Rhaella!- prefer to call him Naruto, yet they're the only ones who truly do.
Timeline is obviously a little skewed here, but hey, that makes things...fun.
References and verbatim from Game of Thrones below. Away we go~!
Tywin really is my favorite character to write...
"You forget yourself. Do not mistake my caution for weakness, or my easy nature for stupidity, nor my kindness for naivete."
There is a time and place for all things, I've found. A time for peace and a time for war.
Now you will see my claws and remember. Mine are long and sharp my king...
...longer and sharper than yours."
~?
A Lion Still Has Claws
"How large is he now?"
It was, Tywin felt, a fair question. Hardly the sort one asked at dinner to be sure; meals were meant for more pleasant topics; talk of family and weddings and heirs, not the size of an ever-growing dragon lurking below in the castle keep, but still a necessary inquiry nevertheless. Putting aside the matter of the other egg the Martell girl had brought which may or may not hatch on them-and wouldn't that be just wonderful for all the worst reasons-they needed a sound plan of action going forward, or they were lost.
They'd taken dinner together in his solar tonight, him and Nathaniel, just the two of them. Joanna and Cersei hadn't been best pleased by that, Tyrion even less so, but this was necessary. He would impress upon them the importance of the Plan at a later date. For now it was of paramount importance that they came up with a battle plan and soon. Ravens had flown quick and thick in the last day; the West looked to them for answers, for action. Commands they could give, and had, but they needed action, and soon.
The Ironborn were already reaving up and down the western coast; they would come to Lannisport soon; it was not merely a matter of if, but when.
Crakehall had already fallen to them and given enough time, they might penetrate through to Cornfield. Feastfires was also a potential target being on the coast as it was, but if the Ironborn commander had a proper head on his shoulders -unlikely, but possible- he would seek to burn the fleet at Lannisport. Doing so would render them powerless to prevent further naval incursions and thus cripple any response they might make.
Their enemy might well have pulled it off and caught them unawares too, if not for the Ellia Martel and her brother's timely warning.
The Dornish were going to be smug about this for years to come, he knew, if not outright decades.
...Tywin supposed he would have to compensate them, or he'd never hear the end of it.
The sibling's timing spoke of good fortune, but Tywin didn't believe in luck. Not these days. Luck would've seen Aerys dead a decade ago on the Iron Throne. Luck was fickle. Sometimes it favored good men. Oftentimes it favored a darker sort. Perhaps luck was real, perhaps not, but he could not entrust his stratagems to luck.
Even if it did, on occasion, swing in his favor.
Hence the question about Kurama. Having a dragon burn the Greyjoy fleets over open water would simplify matters a great deal in the battles to come; with their ships burned, the enemy raiders would be trapped inland, with no escape, harassed from land and sky. Aegon the Conqueror had once done the same with another Ironborn at Harrenhal. It would be fitting to inflict the same fate on the Greyjoys in their towers at Pyke. Flood all them with flame until wood burst and rock crumbled. Such would even put the Rains of Castamere to shame.
Granted, it would expose Nathaniel's dragon to the world, but if he'd grown...!
"Not large enough." Nathaniel dashed his hopes as he polished off the last of his mutton with an annoyed sigh. "Not for what you're thinking. Maybe in a year."
Tywin bit back a growl and downed the contents of his goblet. Water, not wine. They'd been here for some time. "We don't have a year."
No, they did not. If they waited, they had at best a month or two before the raiders would be on their doorstep.
His heir grunted, sympathizing with him. "I know."
...do you believe the other egg will hatch?"
Nathaniel thumped the satchel he wore, which no doubt contained the item in question. "I only take this off when I sleep. I'll be the first to know."
They all but had two dragons and they couldn't use them. Blast it all...
They ate in aggravated silence a moment more. Tywin took the opportunity to mull over his plans.
Once upon a time, the Targaryens thought dragons would be their legacy. And perhaps they might've been, if not the Dance of Dragons. That civil war of theirs wasn't merely foolish; it was stupid. No only did they dance away their birthright, but the means by which to keep the other kingdoms in line. They'd never recovered from the Dance, while the other houses only grew stronger.
None would've dared cross Aerys if he had a dragon. But now they had one, and in time, the Mad King would burn.
If they could only survive the Greyjoys.
At length, he deigned to share another tidbit of information with his son.
"I have written letters to the North." he said, noting the way his body perked up. "Lord Rickard has responded."
"And?" Nathaniel bit into a hunk of bread, tearing a chunk free with his teeth. "What did he say?"
Tywin granted him a grim smile. "He has promised us his support in the war to come."
"So soon?"
"But of course." he unbent enough to take another bite of his own meal, chewed briskly, then swallowed before speaking once more. "His only daughter dwells within this castle. It's only natural that he wishes to protect her." After a moment's pause, he chose to further amend what he'd said. "That was wise of you, bringing her here. Had you not done so, we might've found ourselves pressed."
His boy barked a laugh, bitterly bemused. "Ha! She was the one who wanted to come to Casterly Rock. You act like I had a choice in the matter.
"Nevertheless, you did well to woo her over to our side. Thanks to that, we've won over the North."
Nathaniel's smile died an ugly death. "That wasn't the reason I fell in love...
"I know." Tywin held up a hand to temporize, "You care for her and she clearly cares for you. She's one of the few brave souls actually willing to talk back to me." And curse at him, too. She'd been most vocal when she learned what the Ironborn were up to, demanding he write to her Father for aid. Her exact words had been to rip those rat-bastards out of their towers. "That alone warrants my consideration."
"Here." he pushed a heavy sheaf of paper his way. "Give these to the Stark girl."
Nathaniel accepted it with some confusion. "What're these?
"Letters from her father. For her eyes only."
...did you open them?"
Tywin arched a brow. "Do you want the answer to that question?"
He'd become rather adroit and unsealing and resealing letters in his younger days. Such was a useful skill; one he'd been forced to learn in no small part due to the weakness of his own father, often reading his letters and missives without him being any the wiser. It was was necessary at the time, if only to prevent Tytos from making even more of a fool of himself. Tytos Lannister had been a good man, but also a weak man. Said weakness nearly led to the downfall of the Lannister name. Now their house was imperiled once more. He would not make the same mistakes.
Pushing the remnants of his meal aside, he steepled his fingers aside and laid his chin atop them to regard his heir. "For what its worth, Dorne has also offered us some support, if only to ensure the safe return of Elia and Oberyn to Sunspear."
Nathaniel set his own plate aside and tilted his head. "They won't reach us in time."
"No, they will not."
Tywin looked to the hearth, considering the flickering fire therein.
For a moment, he could've sworn he glimpsed something like his own death within the flames.
No, this farce against the Greyjoys would not claim his life. The Gods could not have him. He refused. His place was here. He was needed.
"This will not be our last war. But win or lose, this is the one you and I will be remembered for. Our legacy will be determined in the coming months." He made sure to include his son in that, subtly reminding him of his place in all this. "The outcome will be passed down to your children. And your children's children," he didn't miss his heir's wince there, "It will be your legacy as much as mine, what remains of me when I'm gone. Do you understand?"
His son nodded.
"Good." Subtly pleased, he asked another question, another test." Now what do you believe our next move against the Ironborn should be?"
He half expected the boy to suggest retaking Crakehall, perhaps bargaining with the Greyjoys, or even calling upon others for aid, but once again, he surprised him.
"They're coming to us, aren't they?" He drummed his fingers against the table, considering. "They think we aren't aware of them yet; that they'll be able to take us by surprise. So naturally, they'll try to burn our ships at anchor...
Tywin let him ponder the matter further, curious as to what he might decide, and whether it would align with his own scheme. He might make the plans, but Nathaniel would be the Enforcer to see them done, the Fist that carried them out, and the Hammer to smite the enemy.
He did not relish the idea of letting his heir run amok against the Greyjoys, but perhaps that was needed.
If the Kraken insisted upon being a beast, then the Lion would remind them of their place. In the sea. Not the land. Krakens may be mighty indeed on the open water, but those ever-grasping squids often collapsed under their own weight when they dragged themselves from the depths. After all, the beasts had no bones.
Ironborn, like their namesake, were cowards, unable to face an army in a protracted battle.
Balon Greyjoy had overstepped; or perhaps Aerys had goaded the oaf into action.
It mattered naught. The outcome would be the same. This must be answered.
Nathaniel thumped a fist down, snapping him back to reality. "They mean to trap us, but we'll spring a trap of our own."
"What did you have in mind?"
His son and heir explained softly in a low voice and at great length, gesticulating wildly with his hands as he did. When that didn't suffice, he cleared off the table, found a sheaf of parchment, and began sketching out his scheme. It took the better part of five minutes for him to fully explain, but once he had, Tywin found himself warming to the idea.
For all their strength and savagery, the Ironborn, much like the Targaryens, could be remarkably stupid.
Unlike the Mad King, they had no spies, no intelligence network, and only occasionally used scouts. They often relied on hit and run tactics, and only ever truly attacked in force when they believed themselves to have an overwhelming advantage against their enemy.
Doubtlessly, they still believed they had such against Lannisport. Of course they did. Tywin saw no reason to convince them otherwise.
"Your plan is...acceptable." he granted Nathaniel a nod and watched the young man preen at his praise. "The Targaryens may have their Fire and Blood, but we have our Debts. Crakehall shall be repaid tenfold."
"You do realize this means war, don't you?" his son pointed out.
A pale blond brow rose, bemused. "Do you think I would be in my position if I'd lost a war?"
"That's not what I meant; this won't stop at Lannisport. We'll have to tear them out, root and stem, or we'll be seen as weak."
Tywin barked a rare laugh of his own, bitter and cold. "No need for that silver tongue of yours? And here I thought you might try to talk them down."
...not this time." his son's face was set in steel. "They attacked us first, and would've killed Martells if they could. For that, they die."
On that, they agreed wholeheartedly.
It would be a race, then. To see whom would destroy the Greyjoys first.
The Starks.
The Lannisters.
Or perhaps themselves.
Tywin was not a gambling man. He made educated guesses and reasonable wagers, putting the safety and security of House Lannister above all. Such was his way. But if he were a betting man, he would say thus: The Greyjoys -and by definition the Ironborn themselves- had a year left to live. Maybe less, if Balon did something exceptionally stupid.
We do not sow. Those were their words. But sow they had.
And now they would reap the whirlwind.
None would survive.
(.0.0.0.)
Rickard Stark slammed the latest letter down on his desk. "Call the banners."
His maester paused. "All of them, my lord?"
"Aye, all of them."
(.0.0.0.)
"Nathaniel!"
Ellia cornered him the next morning.
Naruto wasn't surprised when she hunted him down like a stag and pinned him to the wall.
If anything, he was surprised she hadn't tried it last night; he thanked his lucky stars for that. He'd been so tired after that long talk with Twyn; he wouldn't have been able to resist.
Nevertheless, the princess was still presently pinning him to nearest wall with her body, eyeing him like a juicy morsel. "We are going to have a talk, you and I."
Weary though he was, he tilted his head and feigned a smile for her sake. "Will I enjoy said talk?"
She leaned closer, lips brushing his ear. "That depends entirely on you, Lannister."
Enough.
He spun her around, gripped her wrists, slammed her against the wall and pressed a knee into her pelvis to keep her there. "Do you think me a weakling?"
"Ack!" She ground herself against him with a gasp, chest heaving as he dug his knee in. "Not at all...!
"No?" he tilted his head. "Because you're acting like it...
He wasn't prepared for her laugh; soft, sweet, and smooth as honey.
"Lannister," she batted her long lashes at him seductively, "If I thought you weak, we would not be having this conversation...
He pushed harder against her, drawing another gasp.
"Small wonder the Stark girl wants you...
Naruto made to say something more, tried to mention Lyanna, attempted to do so many things, only to pause as the satchel he wore twitched suddenly.
Baffled, he cast a glare at it.
No.
Not here.
Not right now. Surely not?
Shukaku had always been a bit of a bastard back in the old days, but surely he wasn't that much of a little shit...?!
In defiance of that very thought, the egg within -Shukaku!- twitched furiously. Spasmed, really.
Ellia noticed his confusion, promptly looking down at said satchel with a gasp. "Is it about to..?
Naruto swore, grabbed her hand, and bolted.
(.0.0.0.)
Kurama creaked a blood-red eye open where he lay in the Weirwood tree.
He felt it; the stirring of life high above the Stone Garden.
"And now it begins."
(.0.0.0.)
Father didn't much like him.
Tyrion was a smart lad; he'd realized this immutable truth by his tenth birthday. He may not have inherited Tywin Lannister's looks, but he had his mind. His thoughts were sharp as a blade, and growing sharper every year. He learned quickly, not because he wished to, but because he must. Mother and Cersei often praised him for that.
Father meanwhile, seemed to despise him, loathed his very existence, wished he'd never been born. He seldom smiled in his presence, and when he did it wasn't a kind one. His aunts and uncles weren't much better; at times, it seemed even uncle Kevan hated him, too. Of course he did. He'd nearly killed his sister-in-law coming into this world.
By contrast Nathaniel was the truest of brothers and Joanna the best mother a son could ask for, even a dwarf. He was forced to grow quickly in mind, if not necessarily body. He learned, oh yes, he learned. Cersei was technically the eldest of them, despite being twins with Jamie, having been born minutes first and while he'd never met Jaime himself -despite exchanging the odd letter with him- he'd quickly deciphered his place here in the Rock.
Despite her technical status as eldest, Cersei would never inherit. Jaime might have, once, before he became a Kingsguard. Which left Nathaniel as the heir...
...and Tyrion as the reluctant spare.
Yes, that left him as something of the odd man out, didn't it?
And so he learned. Not that he had much choice in the matter mind you; in Westeros, it was either learn or die.
But now he found himself somewhat adrift.
Father either feared or hated him, avoiding him like the plague. Jaime was trapped in King's Landing, unable to do anything more than encourage him from afar. Cersei seemed focused solely on her swordplay, which she'd somehow drawn Mother into. Nathaniel schemed with Lyanna day and night, following Father's command to prepare for the Greyjoy's impending attack, while the Martells...
.
..
...well, Oberyn and Ellia Martell were odd guests, but at least they were kind to him.
In the days that followed, he found solace only in his brother's dragon. Kurama didn't care that he may-or-may-not-be a dwarf, so long as he brought him food. His life, at least, was simple. Everyone else was complicated insofar as he was concerned.
Jaime wanted to be a Kingsguard. Cersei wanted to be strong. Nathaniel -currently!- wanted to kill Krakens. But Lyanna wanted Nathaniel, and he was fairly certain Ellia did, too, yet sometimes he caught Cersei staring at Nathaniel, and that promised to be an awful mess he wanted no part of...!
Tyrion...had simpler ambitions.
As the third son, his future was his own for the most part; he was left to his own devices and did as he pleased. Life would probably remain as such for a time-at least it was until father found a suitable match for him and tried to barter him off to gods-knew-where. Sometimes he wondered who it might be. Selene would be nice, he supposed. Clegane's little sister was kind to him, even if the Hound did glare at him from time to time-
A sudden commotion had him looking up from the meal he was preparing for the dragon; he had time enough to hear a muffled oath before the door to his room burst open.
Nathaniel stumbled in, swearing like a sailor, dragging Ellia in behind him.
Before he could ask what was going on, his elder sibling ripped something from the satchel he wore and laid it on the bed before him; the sight of it nearly floored Tyrion outright.
"Another dragon egg?! Wherever did you find that?"
The Princess of Sunspear squirmed silently, but didn't say a word.
Wait. Had she...?
Nathaniel swooped in to save her and flicked his forehead before he could possibly pry. "Secret."
"You do realize that, if by some miracle it actually hatches, you'll be expected to hand that hatchling over to the King, too...
Nathaniel scoffed and began gathering up blankets for reasons he couldn't discern. "Fuck the king."
Tyrion snorted despite his anxiety. "Dangerous words. Aerys might not like them."
"Don't care what he likes." sweeping up the sheets, he began to cocoon the strange egg, much to his chagrin. "Get over here and help me with this!"
Reluctantly, he did as he was bade, though it didn't stop his tongue from wagging. "And then what? You'll ride another beast into battle?"
Nathaniel looked away with a hum.
And so Tyrion returned his attention to the etf.
"It looks like a stone to me." he knocked his knuckles against it, frowning at the dull noise it made. "Certainly sounds like one."
Ellia nudged him aside him and laid fresh sheets to cocoon it. "Ye of little faith, little Lannister...
"I have plenty of faith." he scoffed. "Just as I have faith that this is fake."
Imagine his surprise when the bloody thing cracked!
Ellia scoffed at him, bemused. "You were saying?"
Odd, Nathaniel was hanging back. But why?
Tyrion tried to reply, really, he did...
.
..
...he didn't get a chance.
Because the egg chose that moment to hatch.
A tiny clawed limb thrust its way out the side of the shell, bedecked in brown, bearing odd blue markings interposed over its surface. Then came the tail. As in one. Singular. Not nine like Kurama's. As he looked on in quiet wonder, a clawed foot thrust through the bottom of the egg, which in turn caused it to pitch over onto its back as the poor creature struggled.
Tyrion looked to the still Nathaniel, then Ellia. "Should we...?
"Hush!" the Princess of Sunspear shushed him, eyes focused on the egg. "I want to be the first thing this creature sees."
Tyrion coughed into a fist, unable to hide his laugh. "I don't think dragons work what way, my lady...
Defying that very thought, the shell split apart, revealing the newborn dragon.
It was a small winged creature, wet and slick, its eyes a piercing gold, yet dark in the center, its sclera dark as night. Those odd blue markings limned its scales in strange places. Yet for all that, it seemed as fierce and fiery as any of its kin. Much to his amusement, the baby dragon chirped indignantly, craning its slender neck to regard the three of them with a grumpy glare.
Naruto barked a laugh as though it had made a joke. "Hello to you too, Shukaku."
He had a name for the creature already? How odd. Still, he'd heard stranger.
Tyrion stretched forth a tentative hand. "Hello there, little one."
"Shukaku" regarded his offered palm curiously. And then:
Chomp!
The little bastard bit him.
Tyrion's yelp echoed through Casterly Rock.
A/N: Shukaku always was the wildest of them.
We'll cut it here for now, work is calling my name...
Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Well, should this remain a story? Would you like weekly updates? I've got five slots left. Or should it remain monthly? By all means, speak up.
As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well...I won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; and basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore. My free time is limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
So...in the immortal words of Atlas...
...Review...Would Ya Kindly? And of course, Enjoy the previews. Potential ones...
Previews are -mostly!- the same this time. Didn't want to spoil the upcoming chapters.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SPOILERS LAY AHEAD!
YE BE WARNED~!
(PREVIEWS)
They had to meet sooner or later.
Naruto chose sooner.
Wise of him.
To delay was folly he knew; Cersei was aware of Ellia, hacing met her before with him and Jaime when they were both young. Lyanna was not, had not, and was likewise very curious
Casterly Rock might be a large castle, but it was also his home. Lyanna and Ellia, however highborn they might be, were his guests. He would treat them as such, respect them, but he wouldn't allow them to come to blows.
Nor would he allow Cersei to dictate his pace.
He wasn't so foolish as to beleieve they would all get along from the first, no one ever truly did. But they needed to meet. He wasn't looking forward to it.
Ive nevet mer skmeone from Dorne before. Is it as hot as they say?
Hotter
"The son of that wicked lizard sought my hand in marriage. My hand!" She shuddered, horribly repulsed.
Oberyn shrugged. I still it would have been a hood match. Mother and Father were quite cross with her for rebuking the dragon.
her face went gray at the mere mention of the city. My place is not there.
"But it would've been a good match," he teased her still.
Lyanna thumped his side and Cersei glared.
"Did you hear? The king's lost an eye. It just...fell right out his skull; such a pity...
Rhaella squinted at Jaime. "You're enjoying his suffering, aren't you?"
"As are you."
She tore her gaze away from his.
He sat on the railing of the balcony
"Let us be honest with ourselves, Your Grace...the realm will celebrate his death.
Balon Greyjoy looked up, baffled by the noise.
Why, it almost sounded like a...oh, gods.
Death rained from above.
EDIT: Hey, you made it! I do hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. By all means, feel free to let me know what you think!
Looking forward to reading your feedback/chatting with you when I get back from work!
Hope you have a great day!
R ~! =D